SMC Laboratories Reveals Innovative STAM™-HCC/IO+ Mouse for Identifying and Developing Novel Therapeutic Drugs for Liver Cancer, Blazing a Trail in the Immuno-Oncology Field

Liver cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the world (Huang DQ et al, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 18, 223-238, 2021). The proportion of MASH/NASH patterns with non-virus-related cancer is also increasing annually. In addition to molecular target drugs such as lenvatinib and sorafenib, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as atezolizumab+ bevacizumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab have also recently been used in clinical practice as therapeutic drugs for liver cancer. Therefore, future developments are highly anticipated. (Chen C et al, frontiers in Immunology, 14, 1133308, 2023). However, the response rate of ICIs for liver cancer is still low, ranging from 0-14%, compared to other types of cancer (e.g., melanoma response rate; 35-70%), thus there is a great demand for the development of new treatments (Tan S et al, JACC: CardioOncology, 4, 579-597, 2022, Valero C et al, JAMA Oncology, 7, 1245-1246, 2021). Due to this information, along with recent…

Liver cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the world (Huang DQ et al, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 18, 223-238, 2021). The proportion of MASH/NASH patterns with non-virus-related cancer is also increasing annually. In addition to molecular target drugs such as lenvatinib and sorafenib, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as atezolizumab+ bevacizumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab have also recently been used in clinical practice as therapeutic drugs for liver cancer. Therefore, future developments are highly anticipated. (Chen C et al, frontiers in Immunology, 14, 1133308, 2023). However, the response rate of ICIs for liver cancer is still low, ranging from 0-14%, compared to other types of cancer (e.g., melanoma response rate; 35-70%), thus there is a great demand for the development of new treatments (Tan S et al, JACC: CardioOncology, 4, 579-597, 2022, Valero C et al, JAMA Oncology, 7, 1245-1246, 2021). Due to this information, along with recent revelations in the field of tumor immunology, SMC Laboratories has successfully leveraged the characteristics of its STAM™-HCC/IO⁺ mouse, which enables the provision of non-clinical pharmacological services for new liver cancer therapeutics, including ICIs.

Through the company's research, it has become apparent that the STAM™-HCC/IO⁺ mouse model has a high tumor mutation burden with the following features:

These characteristics are extremely useful in evaluating treatments based on tumor immune control in non-clinical studies, and the STAM™-HCC/IO⁺ mouse, which has all of these features, is currently the most suitable non-clinical liver cancer mouse model for tumor immunology research (Shalapour S et al, Nature,551, 340-345, 2017, Dow M et al, PNAS,115: E9879-E9888, 2018). It is possible to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of ICIs not only in monotherapy studies but also in combination studies. This can be accomplished by using anti-PD-L1 antibody as a control, and directly comparing results.

About SMC Laboratories

SMC Laboratories, Inc. is a CRO, with a focus on conducting the non-clinical research necessary for the drug development process. As a global consulting company that designs studies according to customer requests, it supports cutting-edge non-clinical pharmacological studies. The company owns a variety of mouse models for inflammation and fibrosis in various organs, centered on the innovative STAM™ mouse' animal model of liver cancer derived from MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease). This patented mouse model was developed by SMC Laboratories as a worldwide-first model based on MASLD. We offer non-clinical pharmacological studies using the model mouse. Please check the company's website for further details.

For further inquiries, please visit SMC Laboratories Inc.,SMC Laboratories (smccro-lab.com)  or contact Taishi Hashiguchi, Ph.D. by [email protected] or [email protected].

Media Contact: Miyu Ueno[email protected]

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